KUALA LUMPUR: The National Space Agency (Angkasa) today allayed the fears of Malaysians that an asteroid is headed for a collision with Earth on Feb 1.
Angkasa said in a statement that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) of the United States discovered the asteroid, named ‘2002 NT7’, in 2002 and it was estimated then that it might hit Earth on Feb 1, 2019.
It has been reported that the odds of impact are 1-in-250,000.
Angkasa said: “Nasa made the calculations based on the astronomical theory that the asteroid will hit Earth on Feb 1 (this year) with a less than 1% probability.
“However, through monitoring and recalculation, the probability of the asteroid striking Earth is very small, almost impossible. Angkasa also confirms this through research and monitoring.
“As such, the people are reminded not to be concerned and not to be influenced by news circulating on social media and to be careful when sharing information.” — Bernama
